Question bout all the theiving going on round here.

[BigWillJ]

.....Do ya'll think the thieves may be using TF forums to pick their victims ?.....

Yes.......only thing worse than a stupid thief, is a stupid thief armed with intelligent info for fast and easy pickin's.....which today's exchange of private data provides in all these public forums....

[Pez Fuerte]

I know we have a large network on TF but it seems we get our fair share of thieving and maybe a little more. Do ya'll think the thieves may be using TF forums to pick their victims ? I know I'm not the only one that's thought of this. Maybe we should start a reward fund.

Could be, along with other boating/fishing forums. That said, what we need to do is keep an eye out for to-good-to-be-true deals on all of the fishing and boating websites, etc., and catch these guys. Although their goods may already be heading south of the border to Mexico and beyond, or even to Asia.

[redfisher753]

Is anyone finding their stuff in local pawn shops?

[colsen1]

The police are cracking down on pawn shops pretty hard. Client of mine owns a pawn shop and said that the police are much more involved with pawn shops than before. Craigslist is the new place where people are getting rid of stolen goods. I'd keep an eye out on craigslist and ebay for anything that goes "missing"

[Brandon]

I think what they are using is good old fashioned surveillance. On the shore or anywhere on the bay there is so much water and so many boats they are not hard to find. They drive by a marina, they look and see which boat is on a trailer with out a lock and see how easy it is to get out of its space. They case it and then at the right time they take it. If they are getting anything from the internet it's how fast word gets out and how many people are on the look out which will probably make them either run further or get really worried and do something dumb.

With boats in marinas and on trailers they really do not need the internet for anything other then looking up a marina address. All they have to do is decide they want to steal a boat, find a marina, or even a community near the water, find an easy target and take it.

I think what we have right now is a group who has decided boats are an easy target. They go to places where boats are, find which ones are not locked down and take them. I do not think there is any information on the internet in the way insightful information that would tip them off. Reports are after the fact, if someone is going fishing they might say I am going here, but they are going to trailer their boat and be in the boat. If someone says I keep my boat at x marina that is not anything secret or information that might tip someone off. Any marina is going to have tons of boats to choose from if someone is going to try and steal one it really does not matter whose it is per say.

I've always been paranoid about someone driving off with my boat and I've either blocked it in, locked it down or kept it attached to my truck. It's not people I do not trust, it's the devil inside of them.

I think the lesson is that if you leave your boat in a public place lock it down. If it's on a trailer and not in a locked community or area make sure you have a lock on the hitch or on the wheel.
Brandon

[Bottom Knocker]

I actually saw someone drive thru the parking lot of my office. Stop, get out and steal a TRAILER HITCH (the ball part, out of the reciever) off a parked car, and drive away! It happened so fast I didnt have time to get the plate #..

MG

[BigWillJ]

...be cautious of (only) locking the "hitch"......best to immobilize the rig some other way. 4 bolts on most couplers/actuators is all it takes for a thief to unhook a trailer, and down the road they go. If they want it, they'll get it.

[BigWillJ]

All nice thoughts Brandon, but I wouldn't be too quick to discount the internet.....

"Some scammers then take whatever information they have harvested from you and your hard drive and enter the information into "detective" software easily available on the Internet. Those who know what they are doing can obtain your Social Security Number or National ID information, plus property information - real estate, car, boat, motorcycle, etc."

The entire article, and this is just one of many I suspect, can be found by searchng the above wording/paragraph.

[Mugsmaster]

Our society has drifted into a culture of "entitlement". People steal because they want and dont feel it is woing and they think they deserve to have it. This attitude flows from the liberal mindset from the 60's generation. The moving away from God as a society takes away any moral compass and totally "sears our concience" so we dont care about right and wrong. We as a generation love animals and pets more than fellow human beings. It is true the ecoomy, drugs, and alcohol play on the situation. Our liberal court system in MD also fails to "punish" offenders and just slaps them on the wrist. I have rambled a little but that is my humble opinion.

- - - Updated - - -

Our society has drifted into a culture of "entitlement". People steal because they want and dont feel it is woing and they think they deserve to have it. This attitude flows from the liberal mindset from the 60's generation. The moving away from God as a society takes away any moral compass and totally "sears our concience" so we dont care about right and wrong. We as a generation love animals and pets more than fellow human beings. It is true the ecoomy, drugs, and alcohol play on the situation. Our liberal court system in MD also fails to "punish" offenders and just slaps them on the wrist. I have rambled a little but that is my humble opinion.

[Flybyknight]

Our society has drifted into a culture of "entitlement". People steal because they want and dont feel it is woing and they think they deserve to have it. This attitude flows from the liberal mindset from the 60's generation. The moving away from God as a society takes away any moral compass and totally "sears our concience" so we dont care about right and wrong. We as a generation love animals and pets more than fellow human beings. It is true the ecoomy, drugs, and alcohol play on the situation. Our liberal court system in MD also fails to "punish" offenders and just slaps them on the wrist. I have rambled a little but that is my humble opinion.

- - - Updated - - -

Our society has drifted into a culture of "entitlement". People steal because they want and dont feel it is woing and they think they deserve to have it. This attitude flows from the liberal mindset from the 60's generation. The moving away from God as a society takes away any moral compass and totally "sears our concience" so we dont care about right and wrong. We as a generation love animals and pets more than fellow human beings. It is true the ecoomy, drugs, and alcohol play on the situation. Our liberal court system in MD also fails to "punish" offenders and just slaps them on the wrist. I have rambled a little but that is my humble opinion.

Well said.
I agree with you whole hardheartedly.
Dick